That morning, Marlina was startled by the weak sound of her beloved cat, Kelabu, meowing in front of the kitchen door. When Marlina opened the door, she was shocked to see Kelabu lying weakly, dragging its suddenly thin body into the house. Its eyes were dull, its fur matted, and fresh blood stains were visible around its mouth. Trembling, Kelabu finally collapsed at Marlina's feet.
"Kelabu!" Marlina screamed, lifting the cat in panic. Kelabu's fur felt cold, and it vomited blood once again. The vomit wasn’t foamy or had any strange smell, it only smelled of thick red blood. Marlina knew her cat wasn’t poisoned, as there were no signs of poisoning in the vomit. Her heart strongly suggested that Kelabu had been cursed.
Tears started to fall from Marlina’s eyes. Kelabu was more than just a cat to her, it was a loyal companion who had been with her for five years. Marlina had raised it from the size it fit in the palm of her hand. She had seen every moment of Kelabu growing up. Marlina knew she couldn’t let Kelabu suffer without doing something.
Without wasting any time, Marlina took a cat carrier and carefully placed Kelabu inside it. She then rushed to the basement of her house. Her hands were shaking as she opened the door, contemplating her unplanned actions. She descended the dark stairs while clutching the cat carrier tightly.
Upon reaching the basement, Marlina looked at the three tunnels in front of her. Without hesitation, she chose the tunnel that led to the dense forest far behind her residential area. With a small flashlight in her hand, Marlina began to run down the tunnel, leaving the darkness behind her.
The tunnel was long and narrow, with damp stone walls. Every step echoed, creating an eerie atmosphere that made her hairs stand on end. But Marlina didn’t care. Her mind was focused solely on Kelabu, who was growing weaker inside the carrier. She kept running and running.
After nearly an hour of running in the dark, Marlina finally saw a faint light at the end of the tunnel. Out of breath, she stepped out into the dense forest illuminated by the moonlight. In front of her, there was a small river flowing calmly, surrounded by tall trees. It was the same view she had seen when she first arrived there, except this time, she was there at night.
Marlina knelt by the river and gently placed Kelabu on a large stone. The cat seemed weaker, and Marlina knew time was running out. She whispered into Kelabu’s ear, “Kelabu, you must be strong. Go find the cure for your illness. I believe you can do it.”
Kelabu slowly opened its eyes, as if understanding Marlina’s words. With some strength that came from who knows where, the cat stood up and slowly began to walk into the forest. Marlina watched it leave with a heavy heart. Her tears flowed continuously.
Marlina waited patiently by the river. Time seemed to pass so slowly, and every sound in the forest made her heart race. She worried that Kelabu might not return or, worse still, something bad could happen to her in the forest.
After almost an hour, Marlina heard dry leaves crunching underfoot coming from the direction of the forest. She immediately stood up, her eyes searching for the source of the sound. Before long, Kelabu appeared from behind the trees, looking healthy but a little thin. Its eyes were shining again, and there was no longer any blood around its mouth.
"Kelabu!" Marlina ran towards the cat and hugged it tightly. Kelabu meowed softly, as if saying it was fine. Marlina checked the cat carefully and found it to be in good health.
Marlina decided to spend a little more time in the forest before heading back. She picked up a small twig and used the flashlight to search for fish in the river. With great patience, she finally managed to catch three mudfish swimming along the river’s edge. Marlina smiled, feeling satisfied that she had something to take back as a souvenir.
Before heading back, Marlina stood by the river and looked towards the dark forest. In her heart, she thanked nature for saving Kelabu. Tenuksia and his family must be pleased that they had succeeded in killing Kelabu, but they had no idea that Kelabu had healed itself by finding a cure in the forest behind the residential area. Marlina tightly gripped the cat carrier, determined to protect Kelabu and herself from any future dangers.
With a calmer heart, Marlina returned to the dark tunnel. Her steps felt lighter because she knew she was not alone in her struggle. Kelabu walked beside her, like a loyal guardian, bringing new hope to Marlina’s life.
As they made their way back through the dark tunnel, Marlina tripped and fell. She shone her flashlight towards what had caused her to stumble and was shocked to find a human skeleton half buried in the earth. The skeleton was intact, with some remnants of tattered cloth still clinging to its bones. Marlina shuddered in fear, but her curiosity overpowered her fear.
“Who are you?” Marlina whispered softly, even though she knew no answer would come.
“I can’t help you, because I didn’t even finish medical school, I got married instead,” Marlina muttered to herself.
For a moment, she remembered when she was still studying at a prestigious medical college in the capital. But everything ended when her mother took her back home to get married. As a dutiful and good daughter, Marlina followed all her mother’s wishes. Now, she was no longer a good daughter, but a wife turned thief, stealing from thieves. Marlina slapped her forehead as she recalled the robbery activities she had been involved in these past few days.
After sitting and thinking for a few minutes, Marlina decided to take the skeleton home with her. She collected the bones and placed them in her bag, along with the fish swimming in her water bottle. Her mind was full of questions, but they continued on their way back.
Once they arrived at the basement of her house, Marlina took the skeleton and hid it under the stairs in that room.
She didn’t know what she would do with it, but she felt sorry leaving it in that state... Marlina stared intently at the place where she hid the bones.